Bruning v. Eckman Funeral Home

The opinion of the court was delivered by

BRAITHWAITE, J.A.D.

Defendant Denise Helstowski appeals from an order entered pursuant to N.J.S.A. 8A:5-18, granting plaintiff Ruth Bruning “[t]he right to control the disposition of the remains” of her deceased husband. Ibid. On appeal, Helstowski contends that the directive signed by the decedent three years prior to his death constituted “other directions” under N.J.S.A. 8A:5-18 and therefore should have controlled the disposition of his remains. The trial judge ruled that “[w]hat the legislature obviously did mean *427by ‘other directions’ is the…